Gold probe team raids Bajeko Sekuwa, seals six outlets

June 13, 2018

KATHMANDU, June 13: A high-level committee formed by the Home Ministry to probe into the 33.5 kg gold smuggling racket Wednesday afternoon raided multiple Kathmandu-based branches of Bakejo Sekuwa, a popular restaurant.

According to reports, the team raided the restaurant based on various 10 locations in the capital and sealed six of them.

The team raided and sealed six of 10 outlets in Kathmandu including those located in Anamnagar, Sorhakhutte, Samakhushi, Battisputali, Kamalpokhari and Gairidhara, according to Onlinekhabar.

Five of the ten outlets are owned by Chetan Bhandari, whose name was dragged in the biggest smuggling hoard of Nepal.

Bhandari is still at large. The government has already suspended his bank accounts and taken control the properties registered in his name.

Earlier on Monday, the probe team led by Joint-Secretary Ishwar Raj Paudel raided two gold shops, RK Jewelers at New Road and RK Diamond at Durbar Marg owned by Rajendra Shakya, who was arrested in April in the gold smuggling case and subsequent murder of carrier Sanam Shakya.

The team seized gold, gold jewelries and other items from the gold shop and sent them to Morang District Court, where Shakya is under judicial custody.

Morang District Attorney Office has filed a charge sheet against 63 suspects. Twenty-eight accused in the case including the mastermind Chudamani Upreti aka Gore have already been sent to judicial prison as their trial progresses while three others were released on general date. The others are still absconding.